“He’s too good for us not to have on the field more,” Head Coach Mark Dantonio said when the depth chart was released on Tuesday. 

It was announced Shelton will be one of the starting wide receivers over Macgarrett Kings Jr., even though Kings had more receptions last season. Kings, who was arrested for drunk driving in April, was suspended for all of spring football.

Shelton was also listed as the third-string cornerback.

He said coaches discussed the move with him when the team began planning for Jacksonville State.

“Coaches approached me about it around then,” he said. “I’m taking it as I’m going to give 110 percent on both sides of the ball.”

For Shelton, this move doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise. He played both ways for four years of high school in Beaver Dam, Wis.

“It never crossed my mind but I’m open to anything,” Shelton said. “I played all four years in high school so I’m just applying the technique I learned in high school. I’m still learning the technique, but it’s about being level and not being off balance. I’m still trying to be comfortable.”

Shelton said doesn’t view playing both sides of the ball as a negative, but as a positive.

“I’m just doing what the team needs me to do,” Shelton said. “I’m making it as a positive that will help the team.”

In his Tuesday press conference, Dantonio mentioned former Ohio State wide receiver-turned-cornerback Chris Gamble, who had a profound impact for the Buckeyes when he decided to play both sides of the ball. Gamble was on the team that won the 2002 National Championship and played all three components of the game (offense, defense, special teams.)

“He started talking about how Chris Gamble played “F” (receiver) and one time he had something like 130 plays in a game,” he said. “I’m going to do what my team needs me to do, and if that is playing that many snaps, that’s something I’m willing to do.”